People Are Attacking a Mexican Trump Supporter's Business Online and in Person
Like bad shellfish or a natural disaster, the effects of Donald Trump are often felt long after he's gone.
Right now, no one knows that better than Tucson resident Betty Rivas. After Trump invited Rivas to the stage because she held a sign saying "Latinos Support D. Trump" in the air, Rivas' restaurant, Sammy's Mexican Grill, has faced harassment both online and offline, according to the Arizona Daily Star.
The rally happened on Saturday, March 19, and the harassment began the following night. Phone calls inundate Rivas, who is Mexican, and her husband Jorge, who is El Salvadoran. The people on the other end call them racists and threaten their business, according to local ABC affiliate KGUN9.
The twist? Rivas brought a similar sign to a Bernie Sanders rally: Rivas is currently torn between the two candidates.
"I haven't done anything wrong; I have the right to say what I'm thinking," Rivas said to KGUN9. "I can go listen to Hillary, I can go listen to Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders, because I'm within my right. I didn't do anything wrong."
But Yelp reviewers clicking away at their keyboards don't care very much about the real story. Sammy's Mexican Grill's Yelp page is awash with the murky-brown luster of inflammatory one-star reviews.
Some of the reviews on the page are clearly from people who created new Yelp accounts just to harass Sammy's: They have no profile and have only given one review.
Some reviewers even admit they've never attended the restaurant in their review.
After news reports of the threats and Yelp reviews, however, people have been reaching out to offer support.
"I saw the article about her receiving threats and I thought, I don't [have] any plans for lunch," Arizona resident Michael Carlier said to the Daily Star. "I just jumped up in the car and raced up here."
Trump's Tuscon rally garnered more controversy beyond Rivas' sign. Activists blocked a local highway to stop people from attending Trump's rally.